Reading Response 5

Ch. 7 European Theorists and American Education & Ch. 8 Progressive Education and John Dewey

Reading Response 5: For chapter 7 generate a biocube of one of the educators discussed and post to the Discussion Board (a photo of completed cube or flat copy) http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/cube_creator/. 

For chapter 8 answer questions: 4, 5, and 7 and post to the Discussion Board 

Chapter 7: European Theorists and American Education

Friedrich Froebel

(1782-1852)

Germany

Personal Background: What were the major events in Friedrich Froebel’s life?

His mother died when he was only 9 months old. His unsupportive father and stepmother were indifferent towards him. He attended various schools throughout his lifetime. Later, he founded kindergarten and established several schools.

Personality Traits: What was Friedrich Froebel like?

He had low self-worth due to poor parenting. He was fascinated by geometry and forms / shapes. He believed that every child needed to express him or her self through self-activities and included geometric figures in his schools (Gutek, 2013, p. 252)

Significance: Why was Friedrich Froebel important?

He emphasized the importance of play in the early development of children. The "readiness" of the child needed to be established so the lesson could be aligned. Physical exercise, games, songs, and rhymes should be included as well (Gutek, 2013 p. 253).

Obstacles: What challenges did Friedrich Froebel overcome?

His mother died when he was only a baby (9 months). His father was unattached and even called him stupid, while his stepmother was indifferent towards him. He also struggled with financial restraints while trying to attend and finish college (Gutek, 2013, p. 252-253).

Important Quote:

"Play is the highest expression of human development in childhood; for it alone is the free expression of what is in a child's soul."  -Friedrich Frobel

Chapter 8: Progressive Education and John Dewey

Question # 4: Reflect on projects and field trips in your school experience. How do these school activities relate to the ideas of Francis Parker and William H. Kilpatrick?

Since I currently do not have my own classroom, I must rely on information from my past elementary school days. Being an only child with overprotective parents, I was not allowed to go on out of town field trips until I was in 3^rd grade. However, when I was in 3^rd grade, our class took a trip to the Adventure Science Museum in Nashville. This was such a great trip! Probably because I had never experienced an outing of this size before. I still remember seeing the life size displays of dinosaur bones and pioneer exhibit. The brain encased in liquid and glass still sticks in my own brain even now. The piano keys that you could walk across and light up still plays in my mind. Francis Parker suggested that schools should be more informal and also explore community resources (Gutek, 2013, p. 286). While Nashville is over a 100 miles from my hometown, this experience did teach me that there is no substitution for experiencing a real life situation. (Another example I can think of this is seeing the ocean for the first time. There is no description available that is accurate enough for some who has never seen it.)  We took field trips to local parks and learned about the people who had them dedicated. We also visited our local water plant and learned about how the water system is sourced throughout the county. These connections are important to students because they impact their ideas and views on their surroundings. Even now as an adult, I still vividly remember these trips.

While reading about Kilpatrick I found it interesting that as a principal he was against using report cards and corporal punishment. He believed in implementing student ideas such as publishing newspapers, and other drama / arts. In relation to a personal reflection, in 8^th grade you could choose to be on the yearbook committee and create the school’s annual. This was a huge responsibility that was endowed to students. The sense of ownership and accountability was a great feeling for students. As the book stated, when students are engaged in an activity wholeheartedly with purpose, they are motivated by their interests to learn and grow. While we were planning the yearbook, we were learning how to work as a team, plan, evaluate, and edit a working piece of art.   

Question #5: Describe Dewey’s rationale for developing the problem-solving method. Has your school experience involved problem-solving, and does it resemble Dewey’s method?

Dewey’s rationale for developing the problem-solving method was based on students’ need to be creative, face change, and inquire. He provided the following examples:

1)   Since we live in a constantly changing world, education should provide a method for dealing with change.

2)   Since change is a process, learning should be process oriented.

3)   Since the scientific method of problem solving provides a process that can be used to direct the course of change, it should be emphasized in teaching and learning (Gutek 2013, p. 292).

Some schools are implementing Problem Based Learning into their curriculum. One example of this was in my residency in 4^th grade ELA. The mentor teacher posed a problem of students not understanding proper facts about reptiles – especially snakes. (We were reading a funny story about a snake in a library.) The teacher then divided the class up into groups and they had to research a particular snake. Then they had to create a poster showcasing their species. The poster had certain guidelines and the mentor teacher and I helped the students to discuss, agree, and create the visual. This was aligned with Dewey’s “problem-solving” method because students were posed with an issue, and they had to figure it out. I have also experienced Problem Based Learning in the college setting. We had to work in a group and figure out creative ways in which to help implement problem based in school systems. The groups had various ideas and differed greatly. I learned many new techniques and got the opportunity to see various view points. 

Questions #7: What issue divided child-centered and social reconstructionist progressives? What is your opinion? Should teachers be child-centered or committed to social, political, and economic change?

The Progressive Era was considered the 1890’s-1920’s. These three decades held major changes within them. The Great Depression of the 1930’s contributed to a controversial issue between social and child-centered progressivists. According to the text, “social deconstructionists’ agenda divided progressives. The child centered progressives, who believed that education should be based on children’s interests and needs, opposed social reconstruction. They argued that the reconstructionist agenda would introduce ideological goals into education and become a form of indoctrination”  (Gutek, 2013, p. 295). Economic, political, and social changes did not need to be present in the classroom. The first and foremost objective should be on the child in the classroom. A child-centered approach is the best way in my opinion. However, that is not to say that other issues should be completely dismissed. I still stand behind the fact that teachers should have an unbiased classroom. Although that does not mean that the classroom should be uneducated. A child-centered approach allows the students the opportunity to learn and grow in a productive environment. 

Reference:

Gutek, G. L. (2013). An Historical Introduction to American Education. 3rd ed. Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press Inc.